Special Feature/Excerpt: THE SUMMER OF SUNSHINE AND MARGOT by Susan Mallery

Summer reading is in full swing and can I just say that I have been loving so many of the beach reads that I have had up for review lately?!

I am so excited to share this lovely new release just in time for summer from New York Times best selling author, Susan Mallery! I even have an excerpt to share as well so be sure to keep reading to get a little sneak peak before its release on June 11th.

Summery

EXCERPT

Chapter Two

SUNSHINE BAXTER WAS DONE WITH LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. D.O.N.E. More times than she could count, she’d looked deeply into a pair of—insert any color here—eyes and immediately given her heart. The relationships had all ended in disaster and she’d hated herself for being so incredibly stupid over and over again, so she decided she was finished with the falling in love concept. Over it. Moving on.

Except…

“I’ve decided,” Connor said, pushing up his glasses, his dark brown eyes staringintently intohers.

Sunshine leaned close, knowing that once again she’d foolishly fallen for an inappropriate guy. “Tellme.”

“Ants.”

Sunshine smiled. “Are yousure?”

“Yes.I’vereadthreebooksonantsandthey’reverysmartandtheyworkhard.Iwanttobuildtheworld’sbiggestantfarm.”

“Okay,then.That’swhatwe’lldo.Weshouldprobablystartsmall,”shetoldhim.“Getaregular-sizeantfarmandseeifwecan make it work. Then we’ll addon.”

His mouth began to curve in the most delightful smile.“Ithought girlsdidn’t likeants.”

“I don’t want them crawling in my bed, but I think anant

farm is supercool.”

The smile fully blossomed. Connor ran toward her. She pulled the eight-year-old close and hugged him, telling herself if adoring her new charge qualifiedas breaking her no-heart-giving rule, then she was willing to live with the disappointment. Con- nor wasirresistible.

He released her and stepped back, nearly slipping off the path and into a tall, aggressive-looking succulent that no doubt had an impressively long Latin name. Sunshine shifted her weight, gently grabbed his arm and spun him out of the way of impalement. Connor barelynoticed.

“You’regoing to tell me that you have to ask my dad, huh?” “I am. We’re talking about being responsible forseveralhundred life-forms. That’s a bigdeal.”

“You’re right.” He paused, then giggled. “Can I be their king?” “Of course. Maybe we can teach themto chant ‘All hailConnor.’”

Connorlaughed.ThedesertgardensectionatTheHuntington’sacresofgardenswashisfavorite.GiventhatConnor’sfatherwasalandscapearchitect,ConnorandSunshinebothhadmember-shipsandinherthreeweeksofemploymentasConnor’snanny,they’dbeenfourtimes.Sofarallthey’dvisitedwasthedesertgarden,butshewasokaywiththat.EventuallyConnor’sinterestswouldbroaden.

He squatted in front of a reddish plant apparently called terrestrial bromeliad and studiedit.

“You start school on Monday,”hesaid.

SomethingSunshinedidn’twanttothinkabout.Partofherplantoavoidbadrelationshipsandshiftherlifeontoahappierandmorepositivecoursemeantgoingtocollege.Notbacksomuch,asthatimpliedshe’dbeenatoneinthefirstplace.

“Ido.”

He glanced at her. “Are youscared?”

“I am. Well, maybe scared is strong. I’mnervous.”

“Do you think allthe other kids will be smarter thanyou?”

She grinned. “I wouldn’t have put it like that, but yes, inpart.

And they’ll beyounger.”

He stood up. “As young asme?”

“I think a little older, but certainly not myage.”

Shewasthirty-oneandhadabsolutelynothingnoteworthytoshowforheryearsontheplanet.Howsadwasthat?

Connor took her hand. “You don’thave to be scared. You’re smart,too, and we can do homeworktogether.”

She touched his nose. “You’rein third grade. You don’thave muchhomework.”

“I’ll sit with you and read aboutants.”

Andthis,shethoughtwithasigh,waswhyhe’dwonherheart.Connorwasagoodkid.Hewasfunnyandkindandaffectionate.He’dlosthismothertocancerafewmonthsagoandwhilehisfatherobviouslycaredabouthisson,hehadabig,impressivejobthattookalotoftime.Declanhadhiredaseriesofnannies,allofwhomConnorhadrejectedwithinaweek.Forsomereason,thetwoofthemhadclicked.

“Come on,” she said, wrapping her armsaround him. “Let’s head home. I’m going to make lasagna roll-upsfordinner.”

“What’s aroll-up?”

“It’s all the lasagnagoodness rolled up in anoodle.”

His gaze was skeptical. “You’re going to put vegetables in the recipe, aren’tyou?”

Shegrinned.“Yes.Zucchini.SkinnylittlezucchiniFrenchfries.”

“Howskinny?”

She thought for a second. “Ant size.”

He sighed. “Okay, but I won’t like it.”

“As long as you eatit.”